Xanax is a central nervous system depressant, and alcohol is a metabolic depressant. Taken together, these two depressants enhance each other’s effects to potentially dangerous levels. Because of this, physicians always want their patients not to mix Xanax and alcohol. Regrettably, these warnings are frequently honored in the breach, with potentially dangerous side effects for those individuals who ignore them. Should…

Alcoholism and drug abuse have a direct effect on both the addict and on his family members and loved ones. An addict might refuse to acknowledge his problems until someone he loves is able to connect with him. This will make him realize the extent of those problems and how that are harming his relationships. If a loved one can make…

Like all drugs that are derived from opiates, Vicodin is addictive. Also like other opiate drugs, people who use Vicodin improperly are at a very real risk of overdosing on it. Vicodin is a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Although neither of these drugs by itself poses a serious overdose risk, the combination of both drugs creates a very serious overdose…

Don’t get me wrong. God’s got a plan for everyone and anytime of year is a great time to get sober. I just happened to get sober in July of 2008 so admittedly I might be a little biased. Either way, here are five reasons that I believe the summertime is a great time to get sober. You Can Go Outside!…

But for a few chemical differences, crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the same drug. They affect a user’s body and metabolism in the same way and generate common sensations of stimulation and euphoria. Crack cocaine is more lipid (i.e. fat) soluble, and its route of administration (vaporizing and inhaling) creates a faster and more intense high than inhaled powder cocaine….

By some measures, drugs and alcohol are a component of roughly 80% of crimes involving property or violence. Drug users who are apprehended and incarcerated will theoretically have no access to drugs when they are behind bars, but the reality if prison is often at odds with the theory. Drug abuse and addiction are treated as a criminal justice problem, and…

A recent Time Magazine cover story addressed the subject of pornography with a subheading explaining that men who have grown up with porn are becoming advocates for turning it off. The article explains that many men who had ample access to free pornography over the internet have found that pornography has stunted their abilities to form deeper relationships and that they…

A critical element of long-term addiction recovery is learning and discovering new activities that will be fulfilling and enjoyable, and that will be a healthy alternative to drug or alcohol abuse. Counselors discovered that gardening therapy is an ideal activity for this purpose. Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts will often feel a sense of boredom or purposelessness when they are setting…

A common cliche in business is that no one plans to fail, but many people fail to plan. This is an equally true adage for addiction recovery. Few addicts will go through detox and rehab with an intention to relapse, but addicts that do relapse back to old alcohol or drug use habits often do so because they failed to make…

Attitudes about sex addiction typically fall into one of two camps. One camp acknowledges that sex addiction is a genuine disorder that has harmful consequences. The other camp points to the fact that “sex addiction” is not recognized as a diagnosable condition by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the “DSM”), and argues that sex addiction is merely a…

If you ask a college student on a typical American campus to name a commonly-abused drug on that campus, you might be surprised to hear that the answer is Adderall. This drug is frequently prescribed to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but college and even many high school students have discovered that it can increase their concentration to enhance test performance…

A Texas native, Joe Hartwell was born in Houston. Following a troubled home life and his parents divorced when he was 12, Joe left home at age 14 and hitchhiked to California. He spent the next two years following the Grateful Dead as they toured across the US and began experimenting with drugs an alcohol. He quickly developed a taste for…

Recovering from alcoholism or drug addiction involves far more than just stopping all substance use and abuse. Drugs and alcohol will co-opt every part of an addict’s life, including relationships with friends and family, careers, and physical and mental health and well-being. Addicts who progress through a typical 28-day detox and rehab program often find themselves exiting those programs only to…

If you know someone who is struggling with addiction you may want to try to help them but feel unable to do so. Often people don’t know exactly how they can help and what to do. Talking to them and offering your support is a good first step but this alone will not help them get clean. Getting past this point…

Dan’s life started off in a pretty typical fashion. He was born in the Bay Area of California and grew up as an only child in a loving household. However, around age 14 he was introduced to alcohol and drugs, and though he didn’t know it at the time, those drugs would send his life in a direction he never expected.Dan’s…

Eating disorders are often explained as coping mechanisms. At the most basic level, an individual with a body image problem might resort to anorexia or bulimia to control that image. At a more abstract level, an individual might develop an eating disorder as a substitute mechanism to control some other unsatisfying or unfulfilled aspect of his or her life. A person…

Business executives and other individuals who are in high-stress employment situations are not immune to drug addiction problems. In fact, they may be more prone to drug abuse if they use drugs to alleviate the stress that is common to their employment situations. This situation makes an executive drug addiction rehab program essential to long-lasting recovery.Also, executives will have the financial…

Percocet is a prescription painkiller that combines oxycodone and acetaminophen. Oxycodone is an opiate derivative and, like all opiate products, it can create an addiction problem when it is used to excess or abused. Without proper Percocet addiction treatment, a person with may do irreversible damage to their body. Percocet Addiction Signs Even with close monitoring and control, individuals who are…

Serotonin and depression are inextricably intertwined. Neuroscientists have long known that individuals who suffer from depression also have low serotonin levels, and that this neurotransmitter is critical in regulating moods. They do not know if depression causes serotonin level reductions, or if low serotonin levels cause depression. Boosting serotonin levels is a common strategy to combat depression. Physicians can accomplish this…

Medical and recreational marijuana use has gained increasing acceptance in the United States over the past ten years. In spite of that acceptance, individuals who use marijuana and its primary active component, THC, can find themselves at a point of abusing these substances, in which case they will need to break their patterns of abuse. And, when they try to stop…

In a basic sense, alcohol is a foreign substance. Your body treats that substance as a poison or toxin and metabolizes it through your liver. In very large quantities, alcohol will overwhelm your body and your liver’s ability to metabolize it, and those large quantities of alcohol will kill you. This most often happens when a person binge-drinks and consumes a…